Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Who would have thought this? The chance to do three of your favorite places to run on two continents in less than two weeks. That’s what laid in front of me. The Chicago Lake front, Guangzhou along the Pearl River and finally Boston and running the Charles River.

I had the great honor of running the Chicago Lake Michigan boardwalk with my son Marco. What a treat it was to share that run with him. Even better yet, it was his idea.

China unfortunately was a bust. I went out the door to run and take pictures. It was raining and I didn’t want to ruin my camera so I headed to the treadmill. I’m confident I’ll be back there to run.

Next up is the Charles River. No chance I’ll miss that opportunity. I’ve got 3 days to get it done and I’m sure I’ll run there all three days.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Sitting in a hotel room. Not foreign to me at all at this stage of my life. It's a Hampton Inn and although the water heater doesn't work, and the front desk clerk has a raging cold, it feels familiar. But this morning and this day are different. Better than I could ever expect.

I type this to the rhythm of his breathing. Marco is on a marathon sleep. 10 hours and still going. It just doesn't get any better than that. He is a machine. He eats when he's hungry. He sleeps hard and he plays harder. Yes, it's still play and I hope it stays play forever. We have nowhere we have to be today and no agenda. So sleep little man, sleep until you are rested to the core.

Friday, April 2, 2010

This is home. I say again the above picture is home. How lucky are we to live in such a beautiful place. As most you know I read and listen a great deal more than I talk. I read and feel lucky to have recently met Gordo. He turned me on to Zen Habits and that is part of what has got me thinking. Now add to this to the text my wife Mary just sent me: Walmart, I look like a famine victim in here. Finally and maybe sit down with a glass of Wine to ponder this: Sunday I leave for Chicago with Marco for a work/play trip. 5 retailers in two states with a couple museums, a race track, family visits and lots of driving. We get home on Saturday and then I leave the next morning for China. If you know how travel works I arrive in China Monday night, work Tuesday and Wednesday and then leave on Thursday. For Boston and everything that is the Boston Marathon. No I'm not running, I'm working. More retailers, more runners and more shoes.

This brings me back to Gordo and Zen Habits. Basically I need to get busy with cutting crap out of my life and replacing it with good. Here goes the starting list:

Cardiff By the Sea - Not crap at all. In fact a place to behold. Tonight Marco and I are going to Home Depot and we are buying 3 various size buckets. Tomorrow and every Saturday I am home we are going to the beach to enjoy the Sunset. Marco on his bucket drums. Me on the Guitar. Dinner, Sunset and a glass of wine with my beautiful wife.

Doing - I used to call this training but what the heck for. I got hit by car and that killed two planned races and now I just have to do. I used to worry about getting in my swim, bike and or run workouts but worrying is crap. From now on I just do. On the road I run and that means every day. On the road I use the gym and all I ask for is twice a week. Off the road I do. Want to ride Double Peak, I do. Want to meet at 5:30am for a 3 hour ride, I do. What comes of it comes of it. Want to race, I do. What this doesn't mean is I'm going to do more and throw away this life that I have. It just means I'm going to be adaptable and not worry about what I do but that I do. Gordo, if you can give me a training plan to do, I'm open for discussions.

Food - stop the madness. I eat out way too much. Way, way, way too much. Part of that is the travel. Like I'm going to get a meal other than the one my sister makes on Tuesday in the next 2 weeks from a home. Not unless the Hampton Inn is a home. Some idiots treat it like home and come to breakfast without shirts, no shoes, give me a break. So my rules are it can't be fast, it can't be easy. No more crap. Good luck to me, I'm going to the Heartland and it's the toughest of the tough for this.

Finally and this one hurts more than you know. My body seems to build up crap. OK not that kind, but the kind that makes my joints and muscles really ache. So as much as I hate to admit it, I need to stretch. I've never been one to stretch but that thought is over. I'm going to stretch twice a day from now until I can't walk.

Now all of this may make me sound like I'm pissed at myself. Only on a few things that aren't even talked about here. What I am is taking a stand and just doing it different.